smac97 Posted September 15, 2023 Posted September 15, 2023 Here: Quote Mormon Church Denounces Tim Ballard’s “Morally Unacceptable” Activities A church spokesperson tells VICE News that Ballard “betrayed his friendship” with a powerful leader, who “never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim’s personal or financial interests.” Hmm. I have real reservations about Vice as a news outlet, but let's see what it has to say. Quote Documents obtained by VICE News show anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard claimed that a revered and powerful figure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played a secret, central role in Operation Underground Railroad, or OUR, the organization Ballard founded. Insiders who spoke to federal and local investigators as part of a since-closed criminal inquiry described Ballard claiming that OUR and his personal business ventures were backed by the senior member of the church’s second-highest leadership body, and part of a larger mission to use the anti-trafficking cause to bring Americans to the Mormon faith—or, in his words, “lead them to the covenant.” The reference to the "second-highest leadership body" is the Quorum of the Twelve. Quote “Tim is fully convinced that he is supposed to be the 'Mormon Messiah and lead people back to the church,’” read notes from an interview between criminal investigators and a former OUR higher-up. The "Mormon Messiah" is Jesus Christ. I suspect Mr. Ballard does not claim to be Jesus. And since Ballard has apparently had a serious falling out with OUR, a hearsay-within-hearsay quotation from an anonymous "former OUR higher-up" does not, in my view, carry much probative weight. Quote But now a spokesperson for the church tells VICE News that while the apostle in question, President M. Russell Ballard, was once close to Tim Ballard—to whom he is not related, despite their sharing a last name—the OUR founder “betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard’s name for Tim Ballard’s personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable.” Elder Ballard’s relationship with Tim Ballard is, the church spokesperson told VICE News, “in the past.” They did not specify what activity was regarded as morally unacceptable. Hmm. "{A} spokesperson for the church" is speaking to Vice? Who is this spokesperson, and why is Vice keeping the identity unstated? Quote Tim Ballard did not respond to a detailed request for comment; OUR provided a statement which is reproduced in full below. The unusually public denunciation of Tim Ballard is particularly newsworthy at this moment. Yes, such a denunciation would indeed be "newsworthy," but is it "public"? I can't find any outlet except Vice reporting on this. Nothing in the Church's Newsroom about this. The Newsroom does have a transcript of October 2019 remarks by Elder Ballard in Worchester, Massachusetts which includes a passing reference to a "Tim Ballard": Quote This past summer, I visited Plimoth Plantation, about 80 miles from here, with my son Craig, son-in-law Brad, and family friend, Tim Ballard. ... During this visit, Tim told the story of Henry Knox, a 25-year-old bookseller in Boston who joined the American Revolution and played a key role in forcing the British military out of Boston and New England. Knox convinced General George Washington, the leader of the American Continental Army, to move the artillery recently captured at Fort Ticonderoga, a fort at the south end of Lake Champlain in northern New York, to Boston. Anyway, back to the Vice article: Quote He left OUR earlier this year following an internal investigation into employee complaints about his conduct at virtually the same moment that Sound of Freedom, a fictionalized version of his purported child-rescuing exploits, became a surprise box office hit. He has since begun promoting a new anti-trafficking organization, the SPEAR Fund. But he is also said by many Utah insiders to be weighing a run for Senate—speculation that was given more weight by a recent statement from Sean Reyes, the Utah attorney general, who’s also a longtime friend and supporter. (Reyes wrote that he would not be running for Senate, allowing “an opportunity for a dear friend of mine who is a great conservative, patriot, and warrior to run and serve as the next Senator from Utah.” Reyes said that person would announce their run in the coming days.) I understand that Mitt Romney has announced he will not be seeking a second term in the Senate. Quote The documents, obtained by VICE News through a public-records request, are from a now-closed criminal investigation into OUR conducted jointly by a Utah county attorney and the FBI. Interesting that Vice has not published these documents. I have just now submitted my own public-records request for these documents. Quote Several people, according to the documents, described exceptionally close ties between the two Ballards. Elder Ballard, who is in his 90s, is the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, an extremely senior position within the church, and is viewed by faithful Mormons as a profound spiritual and moral authority. People familiar with OUR’s operations have previously told VICE News that Tim Ballard has sometimes claimed that Elder Ballard personally urged him to quit his previous job at Homeland Security Investigations to found OUR. So Ballard has had a serious falling out with OUR. Vice is quoting "several people" regarding "exceptionally close ties between the two Ballards" and "{p}eople familiar with OUR's operations" for the proposition that "Tim Ballard has sometimes claimed that Elder Ballard personally urged him to quit his previous job at Homeland Security Investigations to found OUR." Anonymous multiple hearsay does not really inspire much confidence, particularly when the anonymous statements veer into the "bizarre" as follows: Quote The ties between Tim Ballard and Elder Ballard described in the documents are numerous and occasionally bizarre, involving claimed business arrangements, blessings, and even a psychic who claimed to be able to communicate with the prophet Nephi, who according to the Book of Mormon has been dead for thousands of years. Kinda skeptical about this stuff. This is particularly suspect given the position Elder Ballard has publicly taken, such as these remarks during the October 2017 General Conference: Quote We must be careful where our footsteps in life take us. We must be watchful and heed the counsel of Jesus to His disciples as He answered these questions: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man [and I add woman] deceive you.”9 Today I repeat earlier counsel from Church leaders. Brothers and sisters, keep the doctrine of Christ pure and never be deceived by those who tamper with the doctrine. The gospel of the Father and the Son was restored through Joseph Smith, the prophet for this last dispensation. Do not listen to those who have not been ordained and/or set apart to their Church calling and are not acknowledged by common consent of the members of the Church.10 Be aware of organizations, groups, or individuals claiming secret answers to doctrinal questions that they say today’s apostles and prophets do not have or understand. Do not listen to those who entice you with get-rich schemes. Our members have lost far too much money, so be careful. In some places, too many of our people are looking beyond the mark and seeking secret knowledge in expensive and questionable practices to provide healing and support. An official Church statement, issued one year ago, states: “We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders.”11 The Church Handbook counsels: “Members should not use medical or health practices that are ethically or legally questionable. Local leaders should advise members who have health problems to consult with competent professional practitioners who are licensed in the countries where they practice.”12 Brothers and sisters, be wise and aware that such practices may be emotionally appealing but may ultimately prove to be spiritually and physically harmful. ___________ 9. Matthew 24:3–4. 10. See Doctrine and Covenants 26:2; 28:13; 43:6–7. 11. Church spokesman Eric Hawkins, Sept. 2016. 12. Handbook 2, 21.3.6. Directly from the mouth of Pres. Ballard: "{N}ever be deceived by those who tamper with the doctrine." "Do not listen to those who have not been ordained and/or set apart to their Church calling and are not acknowledged by common consent of the members of the Church." "Be aware of organizations, groups, or individuals claiming secret answers to doctrinal questions that they say today’s apostles and prophets do not have or understand." "In some places, too many of our people are looking beyond the mark and seeking secret knowledge in expensive and questionable practices to provide healing and support." "An official Church statement, issued one year ago, states: 'We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders.'" "Brothers and sisters, be wise and aware that such practices may be emotionally appealing but may ultimately prove to be spiritually and physically harmful." From Vice, purportedly quoting unpublished "documents," which purportedly quote unnamed sources (including, it seems, hostile sources), which purportedly speak about: "business arrangements, blessings, and even a psychic who claimed to be able to communicate with the prophet Nephi." Quote Allegations from a former OUR higher-up as well as text messages contained in the documents obtained by VICE News suggest that Tim Ballard and an associate represented Elder Ballard as a partner in a for-profit business called Slave Stealers, which was pitched as a way to control OUR and other non-profits. It was apparently viewed as part of a scheme that would allow Tim Ballard to monetize the notoriety he gained through his often exaggerated exploits. Tim Ballard apparently wrote a book entitled "Slave Stealers." Quote Tim Ballard also claimed, according to the documents, that Elder Ballard maintained close contact with him during at least one disastrous overseas mission, which was based on information obtained by the psychic medium and aimed at rescuing a missing child. Ballard said the Mormon elder blessed him and his wife Katherine beforehand and received real-time updates from on the ground. Vice says unpublished documents say some unidentified source says... Quote In response to a detailed request for comment on these matters, a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a statement, which reads, in full: President Ballard and Tim Ballard (no relation) established a friendship a number of years ago. That friendship was built on a shared interest in looking after God’s children wherever they are and without regard to their circumstance. However, that relationship is in the past. For many months, President Ballard has had no contact with the founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). The nature of that relationship was always in support of vulnerable children being abused, trafficked, and otherwise neglected. Once it became clear Tim Ballard had betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard’s name for Tim Ballard’s personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable, President Ballard withdrew his association. President Ballard never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim’s personal or financial interests. In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them. President Ballard loves children, all over the world. It has been his mission and life’s work to look after them, care for them, and point them to their Savior. I'd like to see this statement so as to confirm its authenticity. Quote In an email to Sean Reyes, the Utah attorney general, Troy Rawlings, a prosecutor in Davis County, Utah whose office carried out the now-closed investigation into OUR, wrote that he had “somewhere around 10,000 pages” of psychic readings. Those were conducted by Janet Russon, a psychic medium who “talks to dead Mormon leaders, particularly a Mormon Prophet from 600BC named Nephi, to get intel,” Rawlings wrote. (Russon declined to comment on her work with OUR when reached by VICE News; Rawlings did not respond to a request for comment.) There is a "Janet Russon" who owns a house in Provo. Also, Lynn Packer (self-styled "journalist, investigative reporter, and nephew to the late LDS/Mormon apostle Boyd K. Packer") has published at least two videos about OUR which reference Russon (here and here, both more than two years old) which reference Janet Russon as a "psychic" associated with OUR previously identified as such by . . . Vice. And Vice's prior (and, it seems, current) characterization of Russon as a "psychic" is based on statements attributed to "one source" and "{a} second person." Quote Rawlings made it clear that he thought donors to OUR would be dismayed by the idea that its paramilitary missions were guided by a psychic and a deceased Mormon prophet. “Donors are not made aware that Nephi, via Mr. [sic] Russon, is the key piece of O.U.R. Operational Intelligence,” he added. Criminal investigators were interested in the nexus between Russon, Tim Ballard, and the church. One document VICE News obtained is a memo describing an interview between an FBI special agent and a Davis County investigator and a former OUR development director, whom we are not naming at her request. This person "said she had not heard that Janet was ever vetted or vouched for by the LDS church," the memo reads. "But stated Tim blurred lines and would frequently say, 'I told Elder Ballard all about it.'" This is starting to become a bit more substantive. Quote Further, according to the former development director’s statements to investigators, Tim Ballard claimed that Elder Ballard was involved in Liberty 89—a business in Utah whose registered agent is Tim Ballard, according to public filings. At a meeting with Tim Ballard and a group of his associates, who claimed to have “visions and special intelligence of the second coming,” the former development director said, she was made aware that this venture had to do with God calling Tim Ballard to “restore America to the covenant.” "Tim was very verbal about Elder Russell Ballard's involvement,” she said. "Tim would say that M. Russell Ballard is a part of Liberty 89.” That wasn’t the only time that Tim Ballard leaned on his friendship with Elder Ballard to suggest the Mormon leader had given his support to a project. Before the disastrous mission to locate Gardy Mardy (a missing boy whose story Tim Ballard and OUR have over the years made central to the narrative of their fight against trafficking) using intelligence gleaned from Russon, the psychic medium, Tim Ballard reported to a group of associates that Elder Ballard had blessed the operation. "Through the whole process and all these miracles, I have reported back to Elder Ballard at least every month, sometimes more,” he said, according to an investigator’s transcript of a video recording of the meeting. “And on the way to the airport last night, I stopped by his house and Katherine and I spent about an hour with him. And he gave me a very powerful blessing." (Katherine is Tim Ballard’s wife.) While the mission was going on, a witness told investigators, Tim Ballard placed at least one phone call to Elder Ballard “to plan the press release of rescuing Gardy.” Yeesh. Quote Other former OUR insiders had also gotten an earful from Tim Ballard about his ties to the Mormon power structure. According to one document, in October 2020 an FBI special agent named Luke (no last name provided) and Bryan Purdy, an investigator for the Davis County Attorney’s Office, interviewed Dave Lopez, a former Navy SEAL who previously led the “ops team” at OUR. “Tim said multiple times, ‘It's his job to use the sizzle of the rescue to lead people back to the Mormon covenant,’” Lopez said, according to Purdy’s report. “Dave stated that according to Tim, that's what this is all about, that's why he's doing all the movies and all the storytelling. He believes the Mormon Church is actually doing that with him, that Elder (M. Russell) Ballard of the Mormon Church is working with him on that secret agenda. He believes that it's his job to be this famous kind of celebrity that gets everyone's attention, but then in turn leads everyone to Mormonism." Vice says Purdy said Dave said Tim said Elder Ballard "is working with him {Tim} on that secret agenda {to lead people back to the Mormon covenant}." Quote Lopez told investigators that Tim Ballard had developed a messianic view of himself. "Dave said he thinks Tim is fully convinced that he is supposed to be the 'Mormon Messiah and lead people back to the church,'" the report reads. Here's the "Mormon Messiah" thing again. Quote Lopez’s final break with OUR, he told investigators, came when an associate of Tim Ballard’s tried to persuade him to invest in Slave Stealers, which would, according to a diagram drawn by Tim Ballard on which VICE News has previously reported, control his various non-profits, which would then promote his personal brand. “Take sizzle of the rescue, lead them to the covenant,” read a note on the diagram—an apparent reference to a plan to use OUR’s highly-publicized child-rescue missions as a way to lead Americans to the Mormon faith. A WHITEBOARD DRAWN BY TIM BALLARD IN 2019. Weird stuff, this. Quote Text messages Lopez provided to investigators show an associate of Tim Ballard’s elaborating on the convoluted scheme. (VICE News is not naming the associate because he could not be reached for comment.) The texts stated that partners, including Elder Ballard, would control a for-profit entity that would have “main control of OUR”—and proposing to bring together, if necessary, Elder Ballard and a business partner of Lopez’s with whom he was planning an island development. A DETAIL FROM AN INVESTIGATIVE RECORD OBTAINED BY VICE NEWS. Slave Stealers did not, in the end, amount to much; nor, seemingly, did the plan to have it take control of OUR. More weird. I'm starting to lend more credence to the Church's spokesperson making a statement about this. Quote The relationship between the two Ballards, however, did not end there, according to the documents. In August 2021, Purdy, the Davis County investigator, and the FBI special agent referred to in documents only as Luke, interviewed the woman who worked as OUR’s director of development. In that interview, the woman in question said in the 2015-2020 time frame, she repeatedly met Mormon leaders in Tim Ballard’s company. She said she met Elder Ballard, with whom Tim Ballard claimed to privately meet monthly, in the company of Tim Ballard and Elder Ronald Rasband, who within the church had authority over Haiti, an area in which OUR has operated extensively. She said had another meeting with both Ballards, and one with Rasband, Tim Ballard, and other OUR highers-up, as well as several meetings with Elder Ballard in the VIP area of OUR events. (A church spokesperson indicated that Elder Rasband has no recollection of ever meeting with Tim Ballard or his staff.) Hmm. Quote At a later point, the woman said that she was, in her official work capacity, brought to a meeting with Tim Ballard’s associates, where he told her that because she had “shared some spiritual things,” he could tell her about “secret things that I’m involved in.” This was the meeting at which Tim Ballard claimed Elder Ballard was involved in Liberty 89. Per the report, the woman added that, according to Tim Ballard, “restoring America to the covenant was ‘a big mission of his (Tim)’ and he was ‘called’ of ‘God’ to do this. She added that he was, in Purdy’s retelling, “very verbal about Elder Russell Ballard’s involvement and behind it” but added “that she didn’t know if she believed that.” Again, Pres. Ballard's 2017 General Conference talk comes to mind. Quote For now, Ballard’s professional and political futures aren’t certain– but he has made ambitious efforts to move himself closer to a new power structure. On Wednesday, he testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he made a highly politicized statement about the Biden administration’s role in aiding human trafficking, one which proved immediately popular with right-wing news sites. “Tragically, as a result of this administration’s current policies, [the Department of Homeland Security] and [the Department of Health and Human Services] have unwittingly become a child trafficking delivery service,” Ballard said, in part. It’s difficult to imagine that Ballard could successfully run for elected office after being effectively denounced by the power structure of the most powerful religion in his home state. But he has proven himself, if nothing else, to be remarkably persistent, willing to reinvent himself—to spin new stories, to seek new allies—as many times as necessary. In response to requests for comment about this story as well as another one, an OUR spokesperson sent one statement, which read as follows: These allegations have been raised previously, written about by Vice and thoroughly investigated by the Davis County District Attorney. That investigation concluded without the filing of any charges. Following Tim Ballard's departure from O.U.R. three months ago, we have been working tirelessly to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our domestic and international operations. At O.U.R., we are proud to support law enforcement in liberating any person in the grips of human trafficking or exploitation and we strive to ensure ongoing aftercare for all those affected. Our resources have contributed to the arrest of over 7,400 suspected predators and have impacted the lives of over 7,800 individuals. Currently, we are carrying out an average of five missions per week worldwide. We are committed to this important work until everyone in need is safe. Weird stuff all around. Thanks, -Smac
LoudmouthMormon Posted September 15, 2023 Posted September 15, 2023 (edited) [deleted - go to the other thread] Edited September 15, 2023 by LoudmouthMormon
smac97 Posted September 15, 2023 Author Posted September 15, 2023 9 minutes ago, ttribe said: Thanks for the pointer.
2BizE Posted September 16, 2023 Posted September 16, 2023 I saw this on KSL https://www.ksl.com/article/50731697/tim-ballard-considers-run-for-senate-amid-renewed-controversy
Tacenda Posted September 16, 2023 Posted September 16, 2023 3 hours ago, 2BizE said: I saw this on KSL https://www.ksl.com/article/50731697/tim-ballard-considers-run-for-senate-amid-renewed-controversy I think there's a group, and I don't dare call it a cult, but it's a group that follow those that stormed or protested at the capital, and they are all in this mind thought that the country is going to you know what and the get fed a load of what for. Being from Utah, I see it locally and even from my own children. I hope they wake up before we're totally wackadoodle with those that run and make office. I give a lot of credit to Mitt Romney who recently said maybe the two men up against each other could step aside and let the younger generation have a stab at the office of our wonderful country.
Recommended Posts